Barbless hooks

[JDFreud]

[angelic] Hi all,

For the most part I would like to fish "CPR" (Catch-Photograph-Release), but am not sure how to make the hooks on my assorted lures barbless. Do I bend the barbs and if so how? Are there commercially made barbless hooks that I could change to on the lures and if so do you loose many fish because of going barbless????? I use a lot of trout/crappie jigs and believe these are almost always barbless to start with. I am more concerned with the thomas bouyants, panther martins, and the kastmasters. Any help would be appreciated.

JD
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[macfly55]

I am relatively new but to make my flies barbless I use a small pair or needle nose pliers and simply flatten the barb from the point back into the bend of the hook .. have also done the same from the side of the hook..

I have seen "barb" pliers on the orvis site but no where else as far as on line goes..

Hope this helps a bit..

MacFly
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[flygoddess]

macfly is right. We have a lot of waters that are BARBLESS only and the way the Fish and Game determines this is the run their nail down the hook at the bend. If it gets snagged it still has the barb. I know in fly fishing you can buy Barbless Hooks, Tiemco it is the BL on the package, but I have no idea on lures.
A pair of Needle nose will do it also forcepts can bend the barb.
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[macfly55]

FG thanks for the back up there.. I had forgotten that I have used my forceps on numerous occasions after I misplaced the mini pliers..

also...it was bass pro that had the [black][size 4][url "http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SceneSevenDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=-29764&scene7Path=BassPro%2f491-453-00%3flayer%3dcomp%26wid%3d500%26hei%3d500%26fmt%3djpeg%26qlt%3d100%2c0%26op_sharpen%3d0%26resMode%3dnorm%26op_usm%3d1.0%2c1.0%2c0.0%2c0&sourceName=images2%2f400-000%2f491-453-00.jpg&type=0&linkEnabled=false"]barb pliers[/url][/size][/black].. they are listed for $6.00....

MacFly
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[ATFISHING]

I OFTEN FISH A LAKE FOR BASS THAT HAS A BARBLESS RULE AND I JUST CRIMP DOWN THE BARBS WITH MY PLIERS.

AT
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[tubeN2]

Barbless hooks are rather costly to purchase. Just like the aforementioned, you can squeeze them with pliers or even take your next time off from your waters and touch up your hooks on a Dremel tool. That will get them down in a hurry.[cool]
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[road]

Wow I thought barbless hooks were a thing of the past. I remember the study that Idaho did with them. It was supposed to improve the mortality rate. There was no difference in at after the study was complete. I did the barbless thing for years. After buying the *pack* of hooks I just crimped them down. Same effect but 1 third the cost.

Don't bother with it nowadays I try and set the hook sooner.
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[tubeN2]

I still use barb less hooks on certain species. There are some saltwater species that I would prefer the hook to fall out faster and help avoid getting a finger bitten off.[shocked]
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[road]

I never thought of that Tn2/ I can think of a few now I might not want to rassle a hook out of.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]As others have mentioned, the requirement for fishing barbless is generally specific to certain waters only, and is not a statewide requirement for any state that I know of. It is usually instituted on catch and release waters, to reduce the damage done to fish being caught multiple times. And, it does help.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have fished barbless hooks on some waters and for some species. My personal opinion is that it does not reduce the percentage of fish I am able to land, once they are hooked. Of course, even as with barbed hooks, you still need to maintain pressure on the fish, to keep them from throwing the hook. Plenty of fish are lost by anglers using barbed hooks, who fail to keep proper tension on the line until the fish is netted or lipped.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Barbless hooks are better for the fish, especially when using flies or artificials. If you are using bait, they can lodge in the fishes' innards with the same damaging results as if they had a barb. In fact, fishing bait with barbless hooks is not as good for the angler. Without a barb on the hook, many baits can more easily fly off during the cast or get stripped from the hooks by baitstealing fish. However, fishing barbless does make it easier to replace pieces of cut bait, with tough skin.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I probably do 90% of my fishing with jigs...using either plastics or some kind of "decorated" jigs...with fur, feathers or synthetic materials tied on. Over the past three or four years, I have been making most of my jigs on the Matzuo sickle hooks. These fine wire hooks have extremely sharp points and have definitely increased my hookup ratios.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The one thing you will notice in the above pic, if you have never used the Matsuo hooks, is that the barbs are very small to begin with. There is just enough barb to help hold fish or bait on the hook, but not enough to tear up a fish's mouth. And, if fishing a water that requires barbless hooks, a light squeeze with the tip of some longnose pliers flattens the small barb easily.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Cabelas sells several styles of the Matzuos...including trebles and octopus style for bait fishing. I love them all. They are surprisingly inexpensive...not like some of the other fancy "offshore" hooks.[/#0000ff]
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